Top 10 Reasons Your Dog is Taking a Trip to the Vet

Ever look around a vet’s office and wonder why everyone is there? See the conditions most likely to land dogs and their owners in the waiting room.

Ever look around a vet’s office and wonder why everyone is there? See the conditions most likely to land dogs and their owners in the waiting room.

Unlike a doctor’s office that may be filled with whatever cold or flu is going around, a vet’s office may lack the sense of camaraderie that a room full of sniffling humans can provide. While there are a multitude of reasons that can bring your dog to the vet, your pet’s fellow patients might have more common than you think.

Just like little kids, pets experience a variety of health conditions, but can’t exactly explain to you what they are feeling. While most often the conditions are minor, signs of illness or change in behavior are best treated with a trip to the vet.

Veterinary Pet Insurance analyzed data from 500,000 insured cats and dogs over the previous year to find the top 10 medical conditions leading to a visit with a veterinarian.

The most common conditions in dogs:

Skin Allergies

Ear Infection

Chronic Kidney Disease

Skin Infection

Arthritis

Upset Stomach/Vomiting

Intestinal Upset/Diarrhea

Periodontitis/Dental Disease

Bladder or Urinary Tract Disease

Soft Tissue Trauma (Bruise or Contusion)

Is your dog plagued by itchy skin? VPI had more than 77,000 claims for dog skin allergies, with an average cost of $187 per dog and topped the chart as the most common reason for vet visits.

“To prevent some of the discomfort that so many pets experience from common diseases, the place to start would be by checking them regularly for developing problems,” says Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Many of the conditions on our Top 10 list each year can be stopped early or successfully managed in partnership with a veterinarian.”

VPI urges pet owners to familiarize themselves with their pets’ routine and behavior and schedule regular semiannual veterinary examinations to help prevent and identify medical conditions before they become serious or costly.